THE YEAR THAT WAS
The good the bad and the ugly
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous in bronze
Can we celebrate bronze? Yes, we can when it’s 26 years between Winter Olympics medals and a couple of 16-year-olds are on the podium.
Let’s face it, a lot of New Zealanders would have trouble describing what a big air and freestyle halfpipe involve. We have a fair amount of snow but not exactly an avalanche of winter sports stars.
Not to worry. New Zealand finally had a couple more Winter Olympic medals to tuck in the draw, alongside Annelise Coberger’s silver from 1992.
A dramatic few hours in the Korean Games produced New Zealand’s two youngest Olympic medallists.
Sadowski-Synnott reckoned it was a “pretty crazy feeling”. Fellow Wanaka wonder Porteous, who was so nervous, he vomited three times atop the course, said he was inspired by news of Sadowski-Synnott’s success.
Hockey star Stacey Michelsen’s shootout goal
New Zealand broke a long run of shootout failures with Michelsen magically flicking the ball over England’s goalkeeper to win the Commonwealth Games women’s hockey semifinal.
It was a memorable duel, with New Zealand bringing on goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon as a specialist shootout saviour-saver.
The Black Sticks went on to smash Australia in the final with chants of “Ki-wi” reverberating around the Gold Coast stadium, and claim gold for the first time.
“I said to the girls, this is the most excited I’ve been for a game of hockey,” captain Michelsen said after the final.
Rugby, rugby, rugby. . .
The All Blacks’ final quarter comeback from a 13-30 deficit
against the Springboks in the Rugby Championship at Loftus Versfeld was extraordinary. The Herald headline “The great escape — New Zealand break South African hearts” summed it up.
Test rugby is in great heart thanks to contests like this, setting up a fascinating World Cup next year.
Ireland’s later victory over captain Kieran Read’s side, while a tough pill to swallow for All Blacks fans, was among the other fabulous battles, as was New Zealand’s fortunate victory over England. Meanwhile, the Black Ferns domination of the women’s sevens circuit is creating an All Black-like aura around them.
Superstar Portia Woodman revealed internal divisions over previous coach Sean Horan but the team appears firmly back on track under Allan Bunting.
Followed by a glimmer of Silver Ferns hope. . .
The ship has not yet been righted under new coach Noeline Taurua. But a 55-44 victory over Australia in Hamilton broke a nine-match losing streak, with star shooter Maria Folau scoring 40 from 41 attempts.
Unfortunately they crashed again in the final Constellation Cup clash in Wellington.
What dark places? Anthony Joshua makes light work of Joseph Parker
Kiwi-Samoan heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker said he would go to “dark places” in an effort to beat massive Brit Anthony Joshua in their Cardiff unification showdown.
But Parker fell short, even though he made Joshua go the distance for the first time.
Former champ Lennox Lewis reckoned it “wasn’t the scrap I’d hoped it would be but AJ fought well and smart”.
Like many others, Lewis felt the Italian referee had been too eager
in breaking up the fighters.
Mike Hesson walks
The superb New Zealand cricket coach made a shock departure a year before the World Cup, indicating he was drained.
“I know what’s required in the role over the next 12 months . . . I don’t feel I’ve got the capacity to give the job what it deserves,” said Hesson, who took over in 2012 after rapid-fire coaching changes.
His reign included elevating Brendon McCullum to the captaincy over Ross Taylor, a huge controversy which proved historyturning.
New Zealand won 21 of 53 tests under Hesson, and 65 of 119 ODIs. He departed with New Zealand ranked fourth in all three forms of the game.
Football Ferns uprising . . . juniors rising
A revolt by 13 Football Ferns led to the resignation of Andreas Heraf, the Austrian who had assumed enormous power in New Zealand football.
Heraf, the country’s technical director, had gone against Fifa guidelines in also operating as a national coach, but that was only part of the problem.
A subsequent review by an employment lawyer found widespread problems within the game, and said Heraf had intimidated players and staff with “bullying behaviour”.
Far better news followed when New Zealand won bronze at the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup, the first medal won by a Kiwi national team.
Hamilton’s Grace Wisnewski scored after just 15 seconds as New Zealand beat Canada in the bronze medal match.
Clanger in the Hanger
The less said about Sonny Bill Williams’ return to the boxing ring in this charity fight — billed as the Banger in the Hanger — the better.
Shaun Johnson departs
The Kiwis’ shock victory over Australia, with test rookies Joseph Manu and Brandon Smith leading the way, might have been the league story of the year . . . but then Shaun Johnson struck.
Having been invited by the Warriors to test the market when his $1 million-a-year contract ended in 2019, the brilliant but erratic Johnson opted to quit and head to the Cronulla Sharks.
“From our point of view, the sort of money he was on, I think it’s fair to say it’s going to attract some questions about performance,” Warriors football manager Brian Smith said.
The elusive Johnson finally fronted the media . . . in Australia.
School rugby examination
Auckland’s first XV competition erupted in controversy when it was revealed 10 rivals would boycott playing St Kentigern College over that school’s luring five players from outside of the province.
Mt Albert headmaster Patrick Drumm said: “This is not what school sport should be about.”
His St Kentigern counterpart David Hodge retorted: “So many young boys and their families want to come to St Kentigern because of the quality of the education they get here.”
Opinions are flying thick and fast, with All Blacks star Rieko Ioane telling the boycotters: “Just because they recruit doesn’t mean you pull [the] plug. Don’t run from the competition.”
Stay tuned in 2019.